[6-text p 255]
This makyth that oure eyris been so sklendere
And feble that they may not weel engendere
Line 3148
This makyth that oure wiuys wele assaye
Relygeous folk for ȝe mowe the betere paye
Of Venus payementis than mowe we
God wot no lusschebruys paye ȝe
Line 3152
But be nat wroth myn lord thow that I pleye
Ful ofte in game a sothe I haue herd seye
THis worthy Monk tok al in pacience
And seyde I wele don al myn diligence
Line 3156
As fer as sounyth in-to honeste
To telle ȝow a tale or two or three
And ȝif thow leste to herkyn hedyrward
I wele ȝow seyn the lyf of seynt Edeward
Line 3160
Or ellis fyrst tragedeis wele I telle
Of whiche I haue an hundered in myn celle
Tragedie is to seyne a certeyn storye
As olde bokys makyn vs memorie
Line 3164
Of hym that stod in greet prosperitee
& is I-fallyn out of hygh degre
In-to myserye & endyth wrechedely
And they been vercified comounly
Line 3168
Of sexe feet whiche men callyn exametroun
In prose ek endytid been many on
And ek in metre in manye a sundery wyse
Lo this declarynge oughte I-nough suffyse
Line 3172
Now herkyth ȝif ȝow lyke for to heere
But fyrst I ȝow be-seke in this matiere
Thow I be ordere telle nat these thyngis
Be it of popis emperourys or kyngis
Line 3176
Aftyr here agis as men rede & fynde
But telle hem some by-fore & some be-hynde
As it comyth to myn remembraunce
Haue me excusede of myn ygnoraunce
Line 3180
